About the Book

“There are more seasons to come and there is more work to do,” Hillary Clinton told her supporters following her surprising defeat in the 2016 presidential election. Taking her words to heart, on January 21, 2017, millions of women (and men) across America—opposing a president-elect many considered a misogynist—marched in protest. Millions more around the world joined them in the first mass action of a new women’s political resistance movement. This collection of essays and interviews presents 36 voices in this emerging movement discussing a range of topics—activism, healthcare, education, LGBTQIA issues, the environment, and other concerns that affect the political and cultural environment now and in the future (www.werisetoresist.com).

About the Author(s)

Paula vW. Dáil is an emerita research professor in social welfare and public policy. Widely published in the social sciences, she is a political activist, former journalist, and award-winning nonfiction writer. She lives in the Lower Wisconsin River Valley of Southwestern Wisconsin.

Betty L. Wells is a professor of sociology and extension sociologist at Iowa State University, where she focuses on issues of sustainability and diversity. She is a founding member of the Women’s Food and Agriculture Network. She lives in Ames, Iowa.

Book Reviews & Awards

“A mother and advocate for people with serious mental illness, Dede Ranahan’s essay, A Canary in the Coal Mine, appearing in We Rise To Resist delivers a succinct call for actions that will fix a currently fragmented and broken mental health treatment system. A must-read for everyone concerned about this issue.”—Carla Jacobs, Past Board Member, NAMI National

“Treatment of Mental Illness in the U.S. is Mom’s job. Ranahan’s personal, professional, and civic life exposes public policies that reject medical science and condemn our sick children.”—Rose King, Co-Founder, Mental Illness FACTS, Political Consultant

“A modern-day Dorothea Dix, guided by her broken heart, shatters silence by reporting the uncomfortable truth about the failed treatment of serious mental illness in America. This story makes you care about forgotten families.”—Teresa Pasquini, Co-Founder, Mental Illness FACTS, Family and Consumer True Stories/Right 2 Treatment

“After 9/11, Nikki Stern overcame tragedy to shine as a beacon of reason and hope. Now, as we wobble close to tyranny, Nikki and the other excellent writers in We Rise to Resist collectively provide a way out. Resistance has many voices. Some of its most articulate advocates are gathered in this mighty collection.”—Lorraine Berry, contributing essayist, The Guardian

“The Women’s March [that inspired this book] has been called the largest, most spontaneous mass demonstration in U.S. history. My wife and I were delighted to march in the Nashville event and to feel the power of so many good-hearted people rallying for a better America. It was, and is, an inspiration.”—Congressman Jim Cooper (D-TN, 5th District).